I’ve been done work for a week now (I have an NDA, can’t talk about work stuff so don’t ask), and I’m working on healing my brain. Literally! My neurological system is pretty much in shambles after a year of working 12-hour days and constantly scanning my surroundings for election-related news.
Part of that is, I haven’t once watched the news since the election. I don’t have the stomach just yet for that nonsense. I do watch short video clips, but that’s it. (After working on the mayoral race, I didn’t watch the news or read a paper for six months.) I’ve been reading a lot of books — six since I stopped working.
My original post-election plan was to start a site of women-focused political news but as you probably noticed, our government suddenly took a different turn. My partner (to be named later) and I are instead starting a much larger site that will focus on deciphering the news instead of reporting it — an umbrella in the shit storm, as it were.
These are dangerous times, and we have a lot of work to do, including the hard work of organizing to save Obamacare, Medicare, and Medicaid. But more importantly, we have to put Trump’s actions (and that of the media who covers him) into historic and political context for the voters. The fog of lies is the first step in creating an authoritarian government, and we’re not going down without a fight.
So sometime in January, we plan to announce a Kickstarter campaign for the new site. In exchange for two years’ funding, we promise no ads, no click bait headlines, and no stories meant to drive traffic. But you will get our undivided attention on this administration, and that’s worth a lot.
Chasing traffic is a fools’ errand; advertising revenues are in the toilet for all but the largest sites. I’d rather concentrate on drawing the map you’ll need to navigate the next four years.
Stay tuned!
Susie – I’m looking forward to the new site! There won’t be a dearth of stories to cover – it may be hard to keep up in fact.
“we’re not going down without a fight.”
Stop talking about losing. Start talking about winning. Don’t project authoritarian endeavors as a fait accompli. Identify them and mock them mercilessly. Don’t get mad. Get even. They didn’t want to give women the vote because politics is dirty. No more Mr. Nice Guy Susie. You’ll get more flies if you talk about ordinary women’s lives and how they’re affected by the powers that be, rather than laying wreaths at the feet of the likes of Carly Fiorina. Find ways to get articles from *young* women and to promote them. They need your experience, and there are ways for all of us to learn from them, too.
When have I ever “laid wreaths” at the feet of people like Carly Fiorina?
Indeed! This is much needed for the Trump years.